ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams cornerback Fakhir Brown said
Monday he was suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse
policy because he accidentally missed a drug test and is appealing
the penalty.
Brown, who started 14 games last season, was suspended earlier
this month for the first four games of the season. He said a
meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has not been scheduled.
"I really don't know what's going to happen," Brown said.
"Right now I'm just waiting to talk to the commissioner. You never
know how things are going right now."
Brown was placed in the program after a positive drug test
earlier in his career and thus is subject to random testing. He
must contact the NFL whenever he leaves what he designates as his
testing site, and said he was at his football camp in Mansfield,
La., instead of his hometown in Shreveport, La., about 15 minutes
away, when he missed a test earlier this month.
The NFL considers a missed test a failure. Brown blamed it on
new personnel working for the NFL "just doing what they're told."
"I was out of town and things just got mixed up," Brown said.
"It's just a misunderstanding, and things like that."
In the meantime, the Rams are trying to give Brown at least some
of the practice reps. Ron Bartell, a second-round pick in 2005, is
likely to take over the starting job at the start of the season.
"We get a lot of repetitions so you can get Fakhir in, getting
the reps he's going to need," coach Scott Linehan said. "He's
going to be playing a lot in the preseason."
Brown appears to ready to deal with the suspension.
"They're letting me get a few reps in here and there, but it's
not enough," Brown said. "I'm going to have to do a little extra
running and hopefully just be in shape and be ready once I get
back.
"It's been a long time going into a camp knowing I wasn't going
to able to play, so it's kind of difficult."
Whatever happens, he'll handle it.
"That's just how life is," Brown said. "Sometimes when you're
in the right you get accused for doing something wrong and
sometimes when you're wrong you can get away it."
Brown signed a five-year, $12 million free agent contract with
the Rams in March 2006 after starting 25 games in four seasons with
the Saints. He's not particularly worried that his absence could
cost him his job on a longterm basis in addition to roughly a
quarter of his base salary of around $1 million this year.
"Well, you know, that's just how it is," he said. "If you're
not in camp working out with the first team you can get your job
taken away."
Game notes
LB Chris Draft had more medical tests to evaluate breathing
difficulties that landed him in a hopsital for two days. Linehan
believes the problem is asthma or an allergy and expects Draft to
resume practicing soon. ... TE Joe Klopfenstein had a minor
hamstring injury in practice Sunday night but isn't expected to be
out long. ... LB Tim McGarigle is expected to be out a week with a
hamstring injury.